 I'm going to jump in today and I want to share with you about GPS, God's positioning system, God's direction for our life. I think as year 2021, a lot of people are afraid of setting goals now. A lot of prophets are afraid to give prophetic words. I think 2020 has really humbled everybody. Dreamboards are kind of going down like I just want to make it. I just don't want to do drugs. I just don't want to sleep around. I just don't want to do anything wrong. I just want to make it. Goals are not the most important thing in life. Growth is. Jesus is far less interested in your goals than your growth. Because what goals do is goals they motivate you. Growth matures you. Goals they give you destination. Growth they make you a lifetime learner. And the scripture says, come to me, I will give you rest. And then he says, take up my yoke upon me and learn from me. And then he says, you will find rest for your soul. Jesus is interested in making you and I a person who learns. A person who grows through life, not just goes through life. God is far less interested whether you reach your goals and everything on your dream board becomes a reality. He is interested in fashioning and transforming us into his image. And he'll use COVID. He'll use unemployment. He'll use heartbreak. He'll use promotion. He'll use the good, the bad and the ugly to form within us a person that he wants us to be. So as you look at 2021 said goals, it's important to have goals. Don't get me wrong. But please understand God is not as interested in your goals as you are. He is interested in your growth. When you reach your goals, you will plateau, get discouraged or arrogant. But if you have a growth mentality, you never plateau because there's always something to grow. There's always something to learn. There is always something to improve. You release the book. There's always a better way to write. You know lost, you got rid of your debt, but you can still grow in generosity. You got your house, your dream house, but you can still grow in being a Christian that God wants you to be. Amen. A lot of young people, but it's not just young people, older people, every kind of people are asking always this thing. What should I do with my life? What is the real reason that I am here on this earth? The world outlines it very simple to get healthy, wealthy and famous. But as Christians, we know there is more to life than being healthy, wealthy and famous. That's not what Christ gives us that. I found this about myself because 10 years ago this month was the month I just broke up with Lana. I dated her, went on a date, one date and then the next day I broke up with her. And so I had a mental problems. Seriously, I had problems right here with my head. I couldn't make decisions. I would fall in love, but then I would just simply snap out it and I was very scared. We did a 21-day fast and God delivered and changed something in here. And this obsession with who is the right person to marry? What is the right job to have? It really was changed in my life and I would like to share something with you. God's will in God's way is whatever. God's will, what should I do? As long as you are in God's way, it's whatever. It's like being on a highway that has five lanes. As long as that highway is headed in the right direction, which lane should I be on? It doesn't matter. And so it is not right. It's not right to go into fasting and prayer and pleading with God and saying, Lord, I want to choose the right lane. God says, I don't care which lane you choose. I am concerned which way you're going to be on. If you are in God's way, God's way will have different lanes. It will have different options. Apostle Paul tells widows in Corinth, he says, if your husband passed away, he says, you can marry anyone as long as they are in God's highway, meaning in the Lord. He didn't say, go into 21 day fast. I want you to start pleading with God and ask God for the husband, for the one. He says, marry anyone, as long as it's a human being, as long as it's opposite sex and as long as they are in Christ. But which one does God want? God is not going to live with them. You will. And he's asking you, which one do you want? Oh, but what about my job? But I want to know my calling. I want to know what I should do with my life as long as you are in God's way. God's will in God's way is whatever. So don't sweat. Don't waste your prayers. Pray for something else more important. And just simply just do what the occasion demands. Colossians 3 says that whatever you do, Paul doesn't say, make sure you're praying fast that you know what to do. He says, whatever you do, do as unto the Lord. Because Paul is recognizing that as long as you are in God's way, God's will in God's way is whatever. Psalm 1-3, it says this, the righteous man, he first doesn't stand, doesn't walk, doesn't sit. He delights in the law of the Lord. And in it, he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of living water that bears fruit in its season. His leave will not wither. And then it says this, and whatever he does. I understand we've really bought into self-help stuff. Where like you have to really match your calling with your gift and you have to your personality. Make sure your integral matches your work and everything, all of that. And we over complicate God's will and underestimate God's way. God says, I'll bless you. If you are in my way, you choose whichever lane you want to be. And so this year, instead of being over complicated with what you should do with your life, make sure that your life is headed on the way of God. Because the will of God is very simple. Whatever is God's will. As long as it's not illegal, as long as it's not immoral, and as long as it's not in line with God's will. Can somebody say amen? We're going to read the scripture from 1 Samuel chapter 9 and verse 19. I look a little bit more about God's direction and how to know God's will for our life more perfectly. Chapter 9 of 1 Samuel verse 19. Samuel answered Saul and said, I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today. And tomorrow I will let you know, I will let you go and tell you what is in your heart. Somebody say in your heart. Come on, say a little louder. Say in your heart. Verse 20, but as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious for them because they've been found. So Saul comes from a rich family. His father's name is Kish and he's in charge of donkeys in his family. The donkeys get lost and him and his servant are going finding the donkeys. They couldn't find the donkeys for a while and then they went to a prophet. Good idea, went to a prophet and then the prophet comes to them. And I want you to see what he tells them. Tomorrow, somebody say tomorrow. So now right now, but tomorrow I'm going to tell you what's on your heart. So you would think what's on his heart was donkeys because he was searching for donkeys. He came to the prophet because of donkeys. But he said tomorrow I'll tell you what's on your heart. Oh, by the way, about the donkeys? They've been found. That tells me the donkeys were on his mind. Something else was on his heart. What was on his heart that God told him about tomorrow? The next day, Samuel and Saul got up and he tells the servants, I want you to go ahead and then Samuel anoint Saul with oil into the kingdom and he tells him he's the king. That tells me as a little boy, Saul had something in his heart. It was the kingdom. Now this is crazy. Israel has never had a king. So imagine carrying something that has never happened in your nation. I think he was even embarrassed to admit that he wanted to be a king. I think he battled with that and sometimes was confused. Oh, I think it's just pride speaking. It's just I want to copy the other nations because other nations have kings. This is just arrogance speaking. It was deeply buried in his heart. But what was on his mind is the donkeys, is the responsibilities, is the problems, the bills to pay, the FICO score, the car loan, the problem with the tire in the car, the wife is screaming, the husband is demanding, the children are crazy. This the boss is unfair. This is unfair. The donkeys were on his mind. He comes to God and God says, I want to deal with you with what's on your heart. But let me first help you get through to your heart by dealing with things that are on your mind, the donkeys. If you're taking notes, write this down. Your purpose is always greater than your problems. Your destiny is greater than your donkeys. What's in your heart is more important than what's on your mind. The dreams, the desires God places inside of you are more important than the current needs and problems and bills and responsibilities that you are facing. The problem with many of us is we live our whole life chasing donkeys. And God wants us to live our life to fulfill his purpose and his assignment in our life, to fulfill why we are here on this earth instead of just make sure that we find our donkeys. Make sure I find a spouse, make sure I have children, make sure I have a truck, make sure that I have a dog, make sure I have an RV, make sure my vacation is paid for, make sure we have a fat retirement, make sure that I'm healthy and my health insurance covers a massage, make sure that my teeth are white and straight, make sure that this and that, that's all donkeys and there's nothing wrong with finding your donkeys. God is interested in helping you find your donkeys, but God wants to get through the donkeys into the destiny that is inside of your heart. He placed that inside of your spirit. Somebody say amen. When you give your problems into God's hands, He will in return give peace into your heart. When Saul couldn't find donkeys, he went to the prophet and the prophet gave him a word. He didn't give him donkeys, he gave him a promise. He didn't bring him donkeys, he said, oh, by the way, they've been hanging out in my barn. No, he says, I'm giving you a word. They've been found and don't be anxious for that anymore. When you come to God with your problem, I want to let you know, sometimes God doesn't give you solution. First, He gives you a promise and peace. When promise and peace comes into your heart, something begins to happen behind the scenes. God is already finding that which you've been looking. God is already arranging for that which you've been searching. God is already orchestrating for the things that you've been after. When you give your problems into God's hand, He will give you peace into your heart. The scripture says in Philippians, do not be anxious for anything, but in everything but prayer and thanksgiving, with supplication, let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God which passes understanding will guard your hearts through Jesus Christ. So what does that mean? If you want to have no anxiety in your heart, the secret is not to have a perfect life. The secret is not to have more degrees than a thermometer. The secret is not to have connections. The secret is not to have huge following on social media. The secret is not to have a beach body. The secret is that you have a problem. You bring it to God. And God doesn't always give you a solution. He gives you a promise. He gives you His presence. He gives you His peace. The donkeys you are worried about are found. You don't see them, but I promise you they're found. God will give you His peace because somebody say amen. Coming to the Lord will remove the anxiety. But staying with the Lord will reveal His assignment. I want you to see this. The Samuel looks at Saul and says that because you came here, donkeys are found. If you stay overnight, I'll tell you something more about you that you don't even know. He stayed overnight. They had a dinner. He didn't tell him right away. Samuel didn't spill the beans. Samuel didn't unlock all the secrets right away. Samuel says stay overnight. Now, if this would have been an average Christian, like man, I came what I, I got what I came for. I got me donkeys. I'm going to go, I'm going to go meet those donkeys. I'm going to go and tell my dad I found the donkeys. But Saul understood that, yes, I came here for donkeys. But the prophet says there is something more in my life than donkeys. And I'm going to stay overnight. I'm going to dine with the prophet. I'm going to sleep in his house. And I'm going to see what else he has for me. Not if he has more donkeys for me, but if he has something completely different like my assignment, my purpose, why I'm here on this earth. Many people come to the Lord and they receive temporary blessings from the Lord. But when you stay with God, you will see your assignment unlocked. If you come to the Lord, he'll deal with your insecurities. But if you stay with God, he will position you for impact. People who came to Jesus experienced miracles. Those who stayed with Jesus became an extension of his mission on earth. Those that stay with Jesus became an extension of his kingdom on earth. They shook the world upside down. Apostle Peter, Apostle John, they did not experience the resurrection of the dead. They did not experience cleansing of leprosy. They did not experience the opening of the deaf ears and the mute tongue speaking. But they stayed with the Lord overnight. They had a dinner with the prophet, if I could say. They had a dinner with the Lord. They stayed with him and guess what happened. They became the extension of his mission on this earth. Where is blind Bartimaeus in book of Acts? Where is the woman with an issue of blood in the book of Acts? Where is the Lazarus in the book of Acts? They experienced tremendous miracles. These miracles gave preachers a bunch of material to preach for many, many, many, many, many, many years. But these miracles didn't extend the mission of Jesus as those who stayed overnight with the Lord. Stay with God. Maybe you're like, I don't need to fast. My life is good. Your life is good. But God's work is not done yet through you. God might have taken care of your donkeys. But this year you might need to fast. Not because you need to find donkeys. But because God wants to unlock your destiny. He wants to unlock his assignment. He wants to fulfill his purpose through your life. There is more to life than making money. There is more to life than being healthy. There is more to life than reaching your dreams. There is more to life than paying down your college debt. There is more to life than getting a husband. There is more to life than getting children. There is more to life than paying off your truck. There is more to life than establishing your business. God wants to help you find your donkeys. But God wants to get through that to help you fulfill your destiny. Your destiny. Can somebody say amen? God's GPS, number two, is the transformation will happen through association. I want you to see what happens with Saul. The scripture says in chapter 10 of this first Samuel in verse six, the spirit of the Lord will come upon you and you will prophesy with them and you will be turned into a different man. Many times God packages personal transformation in a community, not in a private encounter with him. We all, especially nowadays, people who despise church, who are like, man, I love God, but I hate church. It's like saying, you love me, but you hate my wife. No, I'm not gonna work. Like, man, I love Vlad's head, but I hate his body. Jesus has not been decapitated, my friend, okay? You can't love God and hate the church. And so we live in the lone ranger Christianity today, where it was like, man, I don't need the church, I don't need the body, but I want you to notice that prophet Samuel does not transform Saul. He directs him to a group where he will be transformed in the community. Apostle Paul in second Timothy chapter two, verse 22, he says, flee youthful lust, but pursue righteousness, peace, joy, peace, with those who seek or call on the name of the Lord out of a pure heart. God wants you to pursue holiness in a community, not in private devotion only. The scripture says in Hebrews chapter 12, verse one and two, he says, we're surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. And then he says, let us lay aside every weight and every sin that easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance, the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus. But I want you to notice, before we run, before we lay aside every sin, before we look to the Lord, it says we are surrounded by a cloud. Your crowd creates your cloud. Anytime you are in the right group, it's more important to your spiritual development than your goals. Association breeds impartation. What associations do, what groups do, what close relationships do, that's why Sunday morning is not enough. These are rows, we all need circles. When you are in the group, when you grow in the group, when you go to a group, something happens in the group, you come under influence. Your friends and family, they have influence. Influence has this word in it, has three letter word, has flu. Influence works like a flu. You don't get a flu by going to college. You get a flu by hanging out with somebody who has it. Flu is always caught, not taught. You don't get a flu by taking a class in the university about flu. You catch a flu because somebody around you, no matter what education level you are, what social status you are, if they got COVID, you're gonna get COVID. That's why we practice social distancing, why? Not because of any other, because flu works like that. It works in proximity. And that's the way the Lord works as well, just like COVID. What God wants you to do is God wants to remove six feet distance in your life. And he wants you to get close to other believers, why? Because if you're cussing, you're gonna get around people who walk with a pure tongue, it will affect you. But if you walk with a pure tongue and you get around people who are cursing very soon, it will start slipping. You just won't realize, like F-bomb just came out. You're like, how did that happen? I wasn't trained to curse. The Bible that talks against cursing, why did that happen? Because your association produces impartation. You start cursing because you're around people who are cursing. The Bible says that a good character is corrupted by a bad company. Your tribe creates your vibe. What you are around right now will create and affect your character more than your goals. It's good to set goals. But this year, focus on something more than goals, your group. Which group are you in? Are you in the group? Oh, no, Vlad. Last church I went to. Leave the last church where it was, the last church. Stop bringing your ex into the next. Leave that out. But I got hurt. Welcome to the club, okay? Jesus got hurt too. He still comes to church. He has scars. He doesn't abandon believers. He doesn't social distance themselves and puts a mask on himself every single day when he comes around believers just because he got hurt by the believers. My friend, we have to recover and we have to move forward. We need to be in a group. I would encourage you, please. Being in a group is more important than being on Sunday morning service. Being in a group is where the life will happen. If you say, above Vlad, I went to a group. Honestly, I feel like I stopped in my growth to God because the time for you has come to have your own group. If being in a group has stifled your growth, you have plateaued in your growth. It's because you've outgrown to be constantly cared for. You have grown to be a person who cares for others. There's three stages of spiritual growth. The child, youth, and the father. Child is one who needs care. Youth is the one who can tie their own shoelaces and brush their own teeth. But the father is the one who not only takes care of himself, he takes care of others. When you stay too long on the youth stage and you say, but I go to a group, it doesn't feed me anymore. I'm gonna go switch groups. I'm gonna switch churches. Sometimes that's not the solution. Sometimes the solution is you need to switch not churches but switch stages. Not switch groups, but switch stages. You step on the stage where no longer it's just about you. It's now about somebody else. And you will see new growth taking place in your life. God will transform you through your associations. God will navigate your life through your associations. Allow the Lord to shape you through your association. Every one of us in this room, who we are today is because of people who loved us or people who didn't. Every one of us are who we are today is because of people who loved us and people who didn't. Some of us are successful, not because of our connections and educations, but it's because somebody around us loved us, cared for us, mentored us, prophesied into our life. We were around them and we learned to prophesy. We were around them and we learned to live holy. We were around them and we learned to start a business. We were around them and we learned to manage our money. We were around them and now our marriage is going on nine years versus everybody in our family didn't make it past two years. Why? Because your association brings transformation. Oh, but I'm just going to go to, you know, I'm going to grab a book. Oh, I'm just going to go to church. My friend, that's good. But you need to get close to people where God can change your character in the community. And number three, lastly, is do what the occasion demands. The scripture says, then the spirit of the Lord will come upon you and you will prophesy with them and you will be turned to a different man. And let it be when these signs come to you that you do as the occasion demands for God is with you. If you remember, I opened my message today talking about God's will in God's way is whatever. I want you to look at King Saul. King Saul is anointed by God and God gives him these three signs. He says the first sign is going to be this. You're going to meet some man who will tell you the donkeys you're looking for are found. Sign number one. After that, you will meet some man who will give you two loaves of bread. Sign number two. And then he says you will meet group of prophets who will prophesy. You will come into their circle. You will start prophesying with them as well. Sign number three. And then the prophet Samuel says this, after these signs are completed, he says, do as the occasion demands. He doesn't give him a manual. He doesn't give him five steps. He doesn't give him a course. He doesn't give him a formula. His simplest is do whatever your hand finds to do. I'm not going to be available for the directions. I'm not going to be available for instructions. God is with you. When you see these signs, you do whatever your hand finds to do. I've seen in my life, most of the miracles that happen, I never planned for them in January. Most of the problems that came, I never anticipated them in January. I love to set goals. I'm a goal guy. I love to have dreams, vision board. That's me right there. I love to, you know, fourth dimension visualizing that that has its place. But many things in my personal life never happened because I had a goal for them. It's because I walked in the Holy Spirit and I came into a place where the occasion demanded for me to do something. I did it and miracles started to happen. Can I say the same thing about you? Those of you who honestly, you're not one of those goal people, you're looking at people on Instagram right now, everybody has goals, couple goals, business goals. Everybody has goals. You're like, man, I'm just, I'm just living, man. I'm just, I don't know, man. I'm, I don't know. I'm lazy. I don't know if I'm just not motivated. I don't know if I need to pick up some self help books or something. I don't know. I just don't have that kind of stuff. And maybe you feel a little bit inferior to other believers and other people. I'm going to tell you one thing, setting goals, though the statistics says it's, it's going to get you further in life. You're not a self help Christian. You are spirit help Christian. Your secret is not in your goals. Your secret is in your God. See like soul, when the spirit comes upon your soul and you see these three signs, do what the occasion demands. The occasion will demand when you're pregnant, the occasion will demand something different. When you're in college, occasion will demand something different. When you are out of a job, your occasion will demand something different. Everyone's occasion will demand different things. And it's very important to be full of the Holy Spirit and allow the occasion to decide what you need to do instead of your plan, five year plan, 10 year plan, oh, but this prophet came to our church. He told me that I'm going to do this and this. This prophet left. Don't live by your prophecy. Don't live by this little fantasy you got as a child. Live by, I am full by the Holy Spirit and my occasion demands this. And that's what I do. Come on, somebody practically, let's break this down. God doesn't have to give you directions if he gave you a driver. When God gave you the Holy Spirit, he doesn't need to give you directions all the time. When God gave soul the Holy Spirit, Samuel did not need to give soul step by step navigational directions. Our problem, of course, is that many of us are not under influence of the Holy Spirit and therefore we demand and depend on directions because we don't depend on the driver. Is the Holy Spirit the driver of your life? I'm not talking about do you have him in your heart. I'm talking about because you can have a driver in the trunk and you can have a driver behind the driver's seat. Many people have the Holy Spirit packed somewhere in the doctrine of their understanding but they're not under influence of the Holy Spirit. To have the Holy Spirit upon you means to have the Holy Spirit influence your decisions and influence your life. If the Holy Spirit is in the driver's seat, you don't need to worry about directions. You just follow the Holy Spirit and sometimes it will switch like this. And it's completely fine. Other people have a plan, you have a driver. Other people have goals, you have the Holy Spirit. Other people have that can see their future. It never works out like we see it. Never. Where are those people who prophesied that things in 2020 will be like nothing ever happened like that? Life doesn't work like that. That's why God doesn't always give us a manual. He gave us a guide, the Holy Spirit. Number two that I would like to highlight from here. If you can't hear God's voice, read the signs. If you're on the road and you don't have voice navigation in your car that speaks to you, that lady that speaks to you, annoying voice, general laughter and all this stuff. When you don't have navigation voice activated, you can do something very simple. You don't have to get the secretary of transportation on the phone to know if you should take the next turn or not. What you need to do is you need to just read the sign. If the sign says right, you take right. Oh, but I didn't hear the voice. You know how to read? Read the sign. Sign number one, the scriptures. If you know how to read, God doesn't have to always speak because he gave you a sign. God didn't give you the sign so you can study it. God gave you the sign so you can turn right and left based on what it says. It's not given to improve your knowledge. It's given to improve your life through obedience. The second sign is the saints. It's the seasoned believers in your life. What do they say about your decision to quit your job and to start this particular business? What do people you trust say about this person that you want to get married to who just left a rehab yesterday? What do they say? Because God doesn't always have to speak if he can give you a sign of a mother, a father or a mentor or somebody in your life who honestly, you can read what they say. The Bible says in a multitude of counsel there is safety. Another sign is your spirit. A lot of times God doesn't have to speak what he does is he takes away your peace. When there is tension, pay attention. When there is sense of, I'm not just, like we say, just doesn't feel right. God says no. I mean, I know God is not God, but sometimes if you disobey your God, you'll end up in a rut. You just got to pay attention to your God. As a Christian, you have to pay attention to your spirit. What is your spirit? Do you have peace after you convinced everyone in your family? That's the right decision. After you convinced yourself, you turn off the lights and you're on your own in your room. What does your God says? And sometimes if it says, follow the sign, your peace. The Bible says the spirit of the man is the lamp of the Lord. And the other sign is what does your season say? What does your personal right now, your situation says? What does your occasion says? If you're in college, it says something. If you're in high school, it says something. If you're in middle school, the occasion says it's not time to get married. If you're in high school, the occasion says it's not time to get married. But I'm in love. The sign says no. So you have to follow not only what the scripture, not only what the saints, not only what the spirit, but also what the season I am in says. God's will is so simple. Only we complicated. If we are in his way, his will is whatever. And if you're not sure, just read the signs. When you see the signs, Saul, do what the occasion demands. Do what the occasion demands means. Do whatever your hand finds to do. Do whatever circumstances require. Do what must be done. Do what the occasion demands. But what if I'm going to miss God's will? What, by loving your neighbor? By loving your children? You're going to miss God's will by what? By serving at the church? By giving, by praying, by fasting? How is that missing God's will? But I'm not going to do what really I am called to do. God's will is a lot more simple than that. It's like the city brings electricity to your house. You don't call the city every single time. Can I put my iPhone charger into the wall? I'm just not sure. If it's only meant for the refrigerator and the microwave, is it okay if I connect my vacuum or, is it okay if I connect my stove to it? The city will say, please stop calling us. We connected electricity, plug in whatever you want into that. God says, when you're filled with my spirit, do what the occasion demands. Not second guessing yourself. Not, oh, but I'm not good enough. Oh, but this is not going to work. Do what needs to be done. If you're in this season and this is what you need to do, you do it and this is what I love what God said to soul because God is with you.